Dear friends, a few weeks ago, I asked you for your thoughts and feedback as I was planning my work’s future. Here are my reflections on what you told me.
The short version is: I am returning to the video essays as my focus, and I am improving the way I reward paid supporters without putting my work behind a paywall.
The long version is as follows…
A few years ago I gave myself a deadline: “If you can’t make SEEKER TO SEEKER work by the time you turn 30, let it go and move on to something else.” I didn’t really define what it means to “make SEEKER TO SEEKER work”, and turning 30 seemed far enough away to not worry too much about the details… But then, last month, I turned 29.
By now, at least, I know what “making it work” means for me. It is 3 simple things, really:
producing work that is meaningful (for others and for myself),
working in a way that nourishes my life rather than draining it, and
securing financial comfort for my family.
My birthday reminded me that I posted my first video 6 years ago, yet I’ve never been able to check all these 3 boxes at the same time. I’ve never quite “made it work”. Clearly, I needed to take a step back and reconsider my approach. Instead of doing that alone, I realized I could reach out to the people who care the most about SEEKER TO SEEKER and ask for their thoughts. So, I reached out to you.
I hoped that at least 20 of you would fill out the survey I posted, so that I’d get more representative feedback. What I received were 149 responses, many of them whole paragraphs of encouragement, gratitude, and constructive criticism. This response in itself was a powerful reminder that this work goes beyond my personal relationship with it and affects the lives of people I’ll never meet or even hear from. Strangers, but also brothers and sisters in life, as one of you wrote. Each on our own unique path, yet all of us sharing the journey.
The responses from that survey confirmed what I felt was the key mistake I’ve made in the last couple of years: I started thinking less like an artist and more like a content creator. After a severe burnout, I started exploring alternatives to the slow and difficult work the video essays require, and in the process started doing less of what you (and I myself) value the most. So, one commitment I am making for the next year is to return to the work that made SEEKER TO SEEKER what it is—the video essays—and prioritize it over everything else. The first piece of this new cycle is already out:
What surprised me was that one of my deepest anxieties—that I don’t post often enough—is something almost none of you care about. What matters to most of you is the depth of the essays, not how often they come out. So, from now on, I’m setting myself the modest goal of releasing 1 video essay every 2 months (with a podcast or livestream in the months in between). This will allow me to give each piece the time and care it deserves without the constant stress of feeling behind, which has plagued my work for so long.
I also put a lot of thought into how to better serve my paid supporters (on YouTube, Patreon, and Substack). In fact, I met with a couple of Patreon reps to get their advice as well. The truth is, my work would be completely unsustainable if I had to rely on YouTube ad revenue alone. Those of you who are providing me with financial support really do keep SEEKER TO SEEKER alive, and I want to find a way of giving back without putting my work behind a paywall for the wider audience. So, here is what I came up with…
My work (the video essays, podcasts, livestreams, and Reflections) will remain free. Paid supporters will unlock benefits that allow them to connect with me and one another (our monthly group calls), see more behind-the-scenes work and thoughts (my monthly letters), and submit questions for me and for podcast guests to respond to. I hope this new approach will allow me to reward supporters with connection without depriving the wider audience of anything I produce. As for those of you who are unable to join for financial reasons: know that reading, watching, sharing, and commenting on the work is already of real help, and I thank you for it!
You can see the full set of supporter benefits on Patreon.
There was a lot more in the survey responses that I won’t go into here. I’ve read every response carefully and taken notes, and what you shared will help me shape the future of SEEKER TO SEEKER.
Thank you for sticking with me, supporting my work, and being patient as I learn how to do this a bit more wisely. Wherever the next twelve months take me, I will keep striving to create the most valuable and meaningful work I can.
With love and gratitude,
Simeon
P.S. For those of you who like numbers, here are some from the survey:
111 of the 149 respondents wrote something in their own words
80% said the long essays are the one thing they’d keep if they had to choose
1 person asked for more frequent uploads, while nearly 20 told me, unprompted, to take my time
27 of 31 channel supporters who answered said they support just to help the work continue (not for any benefits)